"this copy of windows is not genuine"

is this a typical error when u install windows 7 but have not connnected to the internet to activate it yet?

More information please.

Have you installed Windows 7?

What version is it?

How did you acquire it?

Do you have a product key for it?

Genuine Windows: frequently asked questions - Microsoft Windows

it's windows 7 pro; bought the software from on-line store with key; i did change hard drive and added ram. not sure if that matters.

Hello Jim,

If you installed Windows 7 and have not activated it within the 30-day grace period, then that could be why you are getting this message. You need to activate Windows 7 with the product key number that came with it to be able to stop this message.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

The hardware change could have triggered this action.

If you can't activate in the manner Brink suggested, you may need to activate by telephone, as this tutorial explains.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18715-activate-windows-7-phone.html

Non-genuine messages can appear for a number of reasons -

To properly analyse and solve problems with Activation and Validation, we need to see a full copy of the report produced by the MGADiag tool (download and save to desktop - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012 )
Once saved, run the tool.
Click on the Continue button, which will produce the report.
To copy the report to your response, click on the Copy button in the tool (ignore any error messages at this point), and then paste (using either r-click/Paste, or Ctrl+V ) into your response.
- **in your own thread**, please
Please also state the Version and Edition of Windows quoted on your COA sticker (if you have one) on the case of your machine, but do NOT quote the Key on the sticker!
How to Tell - Home